96 



FOREIGN BIRDS FOR CAGE AND AVIARY. 



centre of abdomen more stained "vrith brownish. Hab., 

 Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay. 



Hudson says ("Argentine Ornithology," Vol. I., pp. 

 167-170) : " this species is usually named Hornero 

 or Ca-^cra (Oven-bird or House-ibuilder) in Argentina, 

 but in Parasuay and Oai-rientes Alonzo Oai-sia or 

 Alonzito." He "continues: "I have frequently been 

 assured by natives that the Hornero is a pious bird, 

 and always suspends its labours on sacred days. With 

 this pretty belief about it in their minds it is not strange 

 that in some districte they have called it by a human 

 name. 



"It 16 resident, pairs foa' life, and finds its food, 

 which consists of larvae and worms, exclusively on the 

 ground. It delis,ihts in open places, where it can move 

 freely about on the ground, and' is partial to courtyards, 

 clean garden-walks, etc.. where, with head thrown back 

 and bosom prominent, it struts along with an air of 

 great gravity, lifting its foot high at each step, and 

 holding it euepended for a moment in the air before 

 setting it firmly down. I once eaw one fly down on to 

 a naiiw plank about 10ft. long h-ing out on the wet 

 grass ; it walked gravely to the end of the plank, then 

 turned and deliberatelywalked back to the other end, 

 and so on for about twenty times, appearing to take 

 the greatest pleasure in the mere act of promenading 

 on a°smootli, level surface. When disturbed the Oven- 

 bird has a loud, monotonous note of alarai or curiosity, 

 which never fails to bring all its fellows within hearing 

 distance to the spot. The movements of a fox. weasel, 

 or cat in a plantation can always be known from the 

 noisy turmoil among the Oven-birde. At frequent in- 

 tervals dm-ing the day the male and female meet and 

 express their joy in clear, resonant notes sung in concert 

 — a habit common to a very large number of Dendroco- 

 laptine biaxls. including. I think, all those species which 

 pair for life. In a majority of species this vooal per- 

 formance merely consists of a succession of confusied 

 notes or cries, uttered ivith great spirit and emphasis; 

 in the Oven-bird it has developed into a kind of har- 

 monious singing. Thus, the first bird, on the appearance 

 of its mate'flying to the place of meeting, emits loud 

 measured notes, sometimes a continuous trilling note 

 with a somewhat hollow metallic sound ; but imme- 

 diately on the other bird joining, this introductory pas- 

 sage is chansed to rapid triplets, strongly ac-cented on 

 the first and last notes, while the second bird utters a 

 series of loud measured notes perfectly according with 

 the triplets of the first. While thus singing they stand 

 facing each other, theu- necks outstretched, wings hang- 

 ing and tail spread, the first bird trembling with its 

 rapid utterances, the second ^beating on the branch with 

 its wings. The finale consists of three or four notes 

 uttered by the second bird alone, and becoming suc- 

 cessively louder and more piercing until the end. Tliere 

 is an infinite variety in the tone in which diffei'ent 

 couples sing, also in the order in which the different 

 notes are uttered, and even the same couple do not 

 repeat their duet in precisely the same way ; but it is 

 always a rhythmical and. to some extent, an harmonions 

 ]ierformance. and as the voices have a ringing, joyous 

 character, it always produces a pleasing effect on the 

 mind'. 



" In favourable seasons the Oven-birds begin building 

 in the autumn, and the work is resumed during the 



winter whenever there is a spell of mild wet weather. 

 Some of their structures are finished eairly in winter, 

 others not until spring, everything depending on the 

 weather and the condition of the birds. In cold dry- 

 weather, and when food is scarce, they do not work at 

 all. The site chosen is a stout horizontal branch, or 

 the top of a post, and they also frequently build on a 

 cornice or the roof of a house, and sometimes, but rarely, 

 on the gi'ound. The material used is mud, with the 

 addition of horsehair or slender fibrous rootlets, which 

 make the structure harder and prevent it from ca-acking. 

 I have frequently seen a bird, engaged in ibuilding, first 

 pick up a thread or hair, then repair to a puddle, where 

 it was worked into a pelleL of mud about the size of a 

 filbert, then carried to the 'nest. When finished the 

 structiu'e is shaped outwardly like a baker's oven, onlv 

 with a deeper and narrower entrance. It is always 

 placed very conspicuousl,v and with the entrance facing 

 a building, if one be near, or if at a roadside it looks 

 toward the road ; the reason for this being, no doubt, 

 that the bird keeps a cautious eye on the movements of 

 jieople near it while building, and so leaves the neet 

 opened and unfinished on that side until the last, and 

 thei* the entrance is necessaiily formed. When the 

 structure has assumed the globular form -with only a 

 nanxiw oi>ening. the wall on one side is curved inwards, 

 reaching from the floor to the dome, and at the inner 

 exltremity on aperiture ds left to admit the Ibird to the 

 interior or second dhamber, in which ithe eggs are laid. 

 A man's liand fiits easily into the firsit or enltrance 

 chamber, Ibut oa-nnot (be twisted albout so as ito reach the 

 eggs in the interior cavity, the eiultrance 'being so Biniall 

 and h'ligh up. The irtterior is lined rvvitlh diy, soft grass, 

 and five white, pear-shaiped eiggs are laid. The oven is 

 a foot or more in diameter, and is sometimes very mas- 

 sive, weighing eight or nine pounds, and so strong that, 

 unless loosened b.v the swa.ving of the (branch, it oiften 

 remains unharmed for two or three years. The ibirds 

 incubate %y turns, and when one rStuiiis from the £eed- 

 ing-ground it sings its 'loud notes, on 'whiah the sitting 

 bii-d rushes (forth to join in the joyous chorus, and then 

 flies away, the other tajriug its place on tdie eggs. The 

 young are exceedingly gain-uilous, and when oid,y hialf 

 fledged may Ibe heard practising trills and duets in their 

 secure oven, in shrill, tremulous voices, which change 

 to (the usuail hunger -cry of young birds when the ipairent 

 enters ivith food. Aiter leaivincr the nest, the old and 

 young Tjirds live for two or tliree montlhs together. 

 only one ibrood being raised lin each year. A nerar oven 

 is built every year, and I haive more than onoe seen 

 a second oven ibuilt on the top of the iirst when this 

 has been placed veiy advantageously, as on a. projec- 

 tion and ag'ainst a wall." 



Russ dbsei-Vies : "This Oven -ibird arrives itt our 

 market exitreniely rarelv and singly ; it first reacheid 

 the London Zoological Gardens in the year 1873, tlhen 

 the wliolesale deailers advertised it from time to time as 

 a single example, and lastly, lin the year 1887, it iaxrired 

 also at the Zoologicail Gardens oif Amsterdiam." 



In 1893 the London Zoological Society purchased two 

 examiples ; in 1903 several examples wece imported, and 

 I was offered a pair, but did not care to add to the 

 number of my insectivorous birds. I believe they were 

 purchased by my friend ilr. Seth-Smith, since I cer- 

 tainly saw a pair at (his house. If I reiiiemlber rightJy. 

 one of them did not QdTe very dong. 



